Metro-North Siemens Charger locomotives enter service on Hudson Line

Train 805 on the second day of service

Metro-North’s newest addition to the fleet- the Siemens “Charger” SC42DM locomotives, soon to come to the LIRR, have now entered service on Metro-North. These more modern, greener, tier three locomotives entered service on train 825 (the 11:35am service from from Grand Central to Poughkeepsie), returning back home on train 870 (the 2:48pm service from Poughkeepsie to Grand Central).

(Photo: Metropolitan Transit Authority)

The rollout, which came unexpected, came just in time for Climate week and was announced in a press conference Tuesday afternoon, along with the rollout came an announcement of a time reduction on Metro-North’s “super express” services during rush hours between Poughkeepsie to Grand Central. 

The new locomotives have been advertised to be more "cleaner and greener" while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions by a whopping 85 percent, while boasting about the 1,000 horsepower boost in the same boat. 

Siemens Charger Test Train 

The new locomotives are still being manufactured at the Siemens Mobility Plant in Sacramento, and the last of the 27 are expected to enter service in 2027. This is a sad reality for railfans such as myself, as this shows that the end for the favorited P32s is near. While its extremely sad to see these iconic locomotives fade into the sunset, these new locomotives will bring lots of coveted improvements to the table for Metro-North.

This marks the start of a new era for Metro-North, one in which consists of Siemens diesel trains and newer M9A's roaming the rails, replacing their former P32 and M3A counterparts. The new locomotives will be missed dearly by railfans, employees, and even some passengers alike, but the new locomotives will provide much more reliable service. 

In the end, the end is near for both the P32 and DE/DM30AC locomotives, and it's time to soak up every last bit of time you can get with them because the dawn of the new era for Metro-North and the LIRR diesel territory is here.